Find out about Tourette Syndrome, the disorder Rani Mukherji portrays in her comeback film

Everyone is talking about how wonderful Rani Mukherji’s comeback film Hichki is. The movie, as well as the character she has played, is getting much praise.

In Hichki, she plays the role of a teacher who has a very rare syndrome known as Tourette Syndrome. This is a neurological disorder, where the person has repetitive and stereotyped involuntary vocalizations and movements, that are called tics.

The person with Tourette Syndrome tends to make involuntary movements like grunting, facial grimacing, sniffing and jerking the arms.

This disorder is named after the French neurologist, Dr Georges Gilles de la Tourette. There are two types of tics associated with Tourette Syndrome. These are motor tics and vocal tics. This disorder occurs in one in a 100 people across the world.

Motor tics refer to the movements that a person with Tourette Syndrome makes like, shoulder shrugging, jaw movements, neck stretching, head bobbing, making purposeful motions, jumping, twirling, etc.

Vocal tics refers to sounds, like throat clearing, sniffing, hooting, shouting, or in complex cases, barking, and making animal noises.

There is no medication for Tourette Syndrome. It is advisable to go for psychotherapy, according to doctors. Some famous celebrities like football player David Beckham, music composers Mozart and Beethoven also had Tourette Syndrome.

People with Tourette Syndrome usually have other conditions such as Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior (OCB), Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The exact cause of Tourette Syndrome is not known, but it can happen due to genetic or inherited factors. If there is a family history, then a person is more likely to have the syndrome.